Bluetooth Headsets Reviewed
CNet is a great source for reviews on products, but they mostly look at the features and functionality. It’s time to look at the fashion! Check it out behind the jump.
BlueAnt X3 - CNet Review - I see good and bad things about the looks of this headset. It’s a rather unusual bubblegum pink (also available in five other colors), and it’s only about the length of a matchstick. As far as I can tell, the removable earhook is actually bigger than the earpiece! I really like that all the buttons are in one place, it kind of gives off an iPod Shuffle vibe in that sense…but I really like that the entire white strip in the center and around the buttons is the indicator light. (product information)
BlueTake BT400GL - CNet review - I am not a great fan of hot pink or magenta, but they are both considered “pink” by most people. Unfortunately this headset just does not appeal to me - it is too thick and boxy, and I think headsets should have a more streamlined appearance. I am also wary of the apparent lack of earhook with this one - CNet says it comes with three sizes of earpiece, which means they think those three sizes will fit everybody. The curved-up end of this headset doesn’t do it for me either…this one just isn’t my style. Oh, and I can’t even find the indicator light, unless it is the blue thing at the end (visible in the photo on CNet’s review page). Also in silver. (product information)
Cardo Scala 500 - CNet review - Now this is my preferred shade of pink - somewhere between baby pink and candy pink. Bright enough to be recognizable as pink rather than white, but not so bright as to be garish or overwhelming. The rest of the headset, though, is a bit odd. The earhook is mostly black and the headset is pink and gray - couldn’t they pick either black OR gray? The little droplet is what drives me crazy the most, though…I’d want to push either the little part that sticks out, or the little empty part in the middle, but I suspect neither are functional. Also, this headset looks like it might be entirely too big. It’s also available in magenta. (product information)
Case Logic CLBTH10PNK - I am trying to put away my concern over the lack of information about this product, and focus on the looks. It looks okay for a Bluetooth headset made by a company that makes CD cases, etc. I do not like the giant logo on the side. I also don’t like the silver earpiece, which can be swapped in for the white portion. It’s a really nice shape though - streamlined but not too small, so it’ll actually stay put on your head. (I assume there is a removable earhook that was not included in the picture I found.) But still…a headset made by Case Logic? I am wary.
Anycom HS890 - CNet review - This is the most minimalist Bluetooth headset I think I have seen so far. It has an appealing pink color, but I am just not sure it is substantial enough. It doesn’t look sturdy to me. Fortunately it doesn’t appear to have a big Anycom logo slapped on the end - if you check out the CNet review you’ll see that on the blue model. I don’t think I like the volume buttons being bigger than the power button, though…it seems like that would get confusing unless you have tiny fingers. (Product information)
Samsung WEP200 - CNet review - This reminds me a lot of the BlueTake one…similarly chunky, and a similar metallic magenta color. And yet this one is more appealing…probably because the whole thing is pink rather than it being a mix of colors. It’s kind of stubby though, it makes me think of having a Lego block on your face rather than a slender headset.
Motorola H500 - CNet review - This is probably the most popular pink Bluetooth headset - I have seen it on a ton of websites. The design isn’t really all that appealing…the shape is nice but there is just too much going on. It is also available in two darker shades of pink (and a ton of other colors), but if you really want a Motorola headset in pink, I recommend the H550 - it has a much more sleek design and a great pink color. The H500 is probably cheaper, and as I said it’s definitely popular, but I just like the H550 better. (product information)
Added: I found a couple of pink headsets I missed the first time around. The Explorer 330 Headset is from well-known headset maker Plantronics, and the Emerson Bluetooth Headset is from, well, Emerson - which I’ve never heard of before.
